Writing and Spelling Ideas to Use with Kids:
As children learn some letter-sound matches and start to read, they also begin to experiment with writing. Figuring out how words are spelled improves both reading and writing.

Activities for younger children

• Cut out letters from paper, magazines, or use refrigerator magnets. Have your children

spell words by using letters that match the sounds they hear. Start with simple three letter words like cat, mop, or nut.

• As your children become more familiar with letters and sounds, play a game with the

      letters by switching beginning letters (changing “hop” to “mop”) or ending letters
      (changing “hop” to “hot”).

• Say a word and have your children repeat the word, slowly stretching out each sound.

        Then have them write the letters that match the sounds in the word.

•  Ask your children to draw a picture of a family activity. Have them write a sentence about it below the picture. Encourage your children to say the sentence and write letters to match the sounds in each word. Then have them read what they wrote.

Activities for older children

• Have your children cut a picture from a magazine and write a story about the picture.

• Tell your children a story and have them write their own ending for it.

• Have your children write letters and thank-you notes to friends and relatives.

Note: As your children progress, help them learn the correct spelling of the words they write by helping them understand more about letter patterns. However, overcorrecting can be discouraging. Offer occasional, gentle guidance, and let them put all their thoughts on paper before correcting.
Adapted from Beginning Reading Instruction: Practical Ideas for Parents. (1996). Texas Education Agency.

For more information on helping your kids succeed in school, visit:

www.ReadingRockets.org/families

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Writing Tip: Make a Book!

Mini Books:
Struggling to get your kiddo to write? Check out this great miniature book idea from my new favorite blog, Imagination Soup! These tiny books are creative, fun and don't feel overwhelming for a reluctant writer. 

Remember to let your kiddo choose the topic. If they are having a hard time coming up with an idea, brainstorm what they know a lot about. Soccer, hiking or swimming? The ideas are endless!

Hard-Cover Books:
Another fun project (that is surprisingly easy to do) involves making your own hard-cover books! Check out this link to see a step-by-step tutorial of how to bind your own books. 

Want to step it up a notch? Try making your own "monster books" alla Harry Potter. At TLC, we made our own monster books by following the hard-cover book tutorial (see above). We added fur fabric and googlyeyes, in addition to a ribbon "tongue", to make our monsters look more spooky. Want something more specific? Click here for a video tutorial. 

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